


Dinner

by crescent_gaia



Category: Almost Human
Genre: Friendship, Gen, My First Work in This Fandom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-22
Updated: 2014-06-22
Packaged: 2018-02-05 17:55:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1827082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crescent_gaia/pseuds/crescent_gaia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John and Sandra enjoy a quick almost dinner.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dinner

**Author's Note:**

  * For [karrenia_rune](https://archiveofourown.org/users/karrenia_rune/gifts).



> I don't own the fandom or the characters. Apologies if the characters don't sound like they normally do as I did try my best. :)

John was grateful when the day was over, if only so he could finally get some downtime away from people. He was starting not to mind them when Dorian was around, but it had been a long day doing paperwork while Dorian got a tune up. It didn’t help that Paul was in the office all day too as the criminals decided to take a day off. So, when the time for shift change came, it was welcome. He tapped his pen against the desk before pulling up a quick database search for a good bar in the area. He didn’t feel like going for noodles if Dorian wasn’t going with him.

“You’ve been shifting about in your chair all day and you’re really not leaving?” Sandra asked from behind him.

“Just looking up one thing before I go,” John replied. “You were in meetings all day.”

“Yeah, covering your ass on the clothesline you gave to the murderer who tried to kill Detective Stahl,” she said. “Really got to cover your emotions better, John.”

“Maybe I was just trying to help out a fellow detective,” he said, looking up at her from the computer screen. “Know any good drinking places?”

“I might, unless you’re just using me to set up a date,” she said.

He looked at her with a fake shock expression, laughing as she just grinned at him. “No, nothing like that. Usual place doesn’t feel right without Dorian anymore, which is completely your fault, so I need a place to go to alone. I also want a beer and don’t know anything outside of good Asian food.”

She thought for a moment. “Grab your coat; I’ll take you to mine.”

“Seriously?” he asked, getting up and grabbing his coat. He put it on and followed her out, nodding goodnight to Valerie and lingering to look at her before Sandra grabbed his arm to lead him out. “Sorry.”

“At least you’re actually interested in someone again, so don’t be sorry,” she said. “We are still looking for her.”

“Don’t,” he said. “It’s just… it’s complicated. Also, I don’t think she’s alive.”

She waited until they got into the elevator until she asked “Who was she in the end? Dorian said you went to a Recollectionist.”

“Damn bot can’t keep his mouth shut,” he muttered. “And I’m in enough trouble already.”

“Then tell me over a drink; been a while for that,” she said. “When I’m truly your friend and not also your boss.”

He chuckled with a smile. “You know, I’ve never asked if you mind me calling you Sandra or not.”

“I’ve never stopped you, have i?” She watched him shake his head no. “Then you have your answer. You are thick sometimes.”

“Yeah yeah,” he said. “Which one of us is driving? Or, basically, not drinking?”

“One of the perks of being the boss,” she said and led him to a car with a MX at the wheel. She got in the back, telling the MX an address, and Kennex followed into the car. “This way, we can both get trashed if we want to.”

“Like you ever do,” he said. “What is it – three drinks before you have to stop?”

“I’m off tomorrow, might be five or six tonight,” she said.

“All talk in the end,” he said, grinning. “What’s it like?”

“Depends on the crowd, but usually quiet. We’ll be able to get a table so you can eat, don’t worry.” She pulled out her phone and checked everything before turning off the ringer but kept it on vibrate. “Paul’s thinking about transferring.”

“You should deny it; I’ll have to break in a new person and you’ll just get complaints all the time,” he said. “Why?”

“He feels there’s no room for improvement. So he’ll go to drugs for a few months, realize how easy he has it, and come back. He just needs to get this need for being first out of his system.”

“Should have never gone to him when I was out,” he said, “even though I left you with very few options.” He wasn’t going to mention that he still wasn’t fully back or might ever be. It would just invite more questions and possibly bring up if he should take another break. He’d just go insane and, besides, he really couldn’t do that to Dorian.

“Had to pick someone,” she said. “Besides… “ 

“You didn’t think I was going to wake up or come back or anything else,” he said. “Haven’t you realized I’m not normal yet?”

“Only every day,” she said. The car stopped in front of what looked like a rundown dive. “And we’re here,” she said as she got out.

“It looks horrible,” he said. “Which means it’s going to be amazing on the inside. You need to cover your like of that better.”

“Unlike you, nobody has noticed my weakness,” she said and led him in. They were able to get a table away from the bar, where soccer was playing, and get an order in for a couple of beers. 

He glanced over the menu, letting out a low whistle as he read the descriptions. “Asian slaw burger. I love this place already.”

“They don’t have sake to go with it,” she said, not even looking at the menu. “Going outside the box is not going to kill you.”

“If you’re feeding Dorian his lines, please get him better ones.” He grinned from behind the menu, giving it another scan and deciding to go with the fish and chips. A safe choice, but he couldn’t remember the last time he ate it. He flipped the menu around and scanned the beer list before deciding on that choice as well and setting it aside. “I’d ask how your day was but I already know the answer. Besides, you have something you want to ask me.”

She was about to answer but the waiter came up to the table. “My usual with an extra dirty martini. And whatever he wants.”

“Fish and chips with a California Common,” he said, waiting for the waiter to go away before looking at Sandra. “She doesn’t matter anymore because she was there. She’s probably dead and, if not, then I wish her death comes quickly. I just know if I see her again, I’m probably going to not think twice about shooting her.”

She looked at him for a long moment. “No you wouldn’t.”

“Thought you said you were going to be friend not boss tonight.”

“This is the friend talking,” she said. “I know you, John. If she came to you, right now, you’d go with her. You’d hate yourself and call it in as soon as you could, but you’d want her. You’d want the life you were always talking about – white picket fence, kids, all of it… you got to realize you can still have that.”

“She’s out of my league and we both know it,” he says. “Besides, I wouldn’t ask her to give up the job.”

She grinned. “You are hopeless.”

“If I had a dollar for every time you said that though,” he said. “What about you? Anything you’re going to shoot the moon for?”

“A slow week would be nice,” she said, leaning back a bit to let the waiter put the drinks on the table. “You know how it is; you were there at the wedding. We fight just as much now as back then and he wins more arguments than loses. But considering the long nights… well, I’d rather have him happy than not happy.”

“Kids in the future?” he asked.

“Yes… just not sure when. It’s not like anyone has to have an end date anymore.”

He nodded and took a long sip. It was a bit too bitter for his taste, but that was the roll of the dice when it came to craft beers. “Plus, the department would explode from you taking maternity leave.”

“No it wouldn’t,” she said. “I’d just leave you in charge.”

“So the entire department minus a few people would be dead,” he joked. He blinked as she raised an eyebrow at him. “What? You know I don’t want a desk job. If I did, I’d get rid of the leg.”

“Just keep it in mind as a favor for me?” she asked.

He sighed but nodded. As if he could not agree to at least thinking about it, it would be rude to her not to do so. “If it was anyone else, it would be a strong no.” He turned his attention to the TV as her phone started to buzz, moving his eyes upwards to see the score. He turned back to her when he felt a tap on his hand and noticed an address written down on a napkin. “Didn’t even get to eat.”

“We’ll take it to go,” she said, motioning the waiter over and getting the food to go. It appeared a few moments later and they left. After getting back to the precinct, John went to the crime scene as she went back to her office to keep an eye on her friend.


End file.
